


Homecoming

by twentyonehellevators



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Child Abuse, Child slavery, Homophobia, M/M, Mafia AU, Slavery, Stray kids mafia, Suicide Attempt, Trans Male Character, Transgender Seo Changbin, Transphobia, Underage Drinking, Underage Prostitution, accidental transphobia, ftm Seo Changbin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2020-08-23 09:17:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20240455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twentyonehellevators/pseuds/twentyonehellevators
Summary: Stray Kids Mafia AUFollows Chan’s life as he adopts the different members of Stray Kids with the promise to keep them safe... No matter the cost.





	1. 3RACHA

_November 28, 2010_

* * *

It wasn’t his first time standing here, on the very edge of this bridge, body pressed up against the (concerningly) low railing. Time and time again, Chris brought himself to this edge, arguing against his own mind whether or not it was worth it to jump. To plunge his body into the rushing water below. His soul into the depths of uncertainty.

No, it certainly was _not_ his first time standing here… but this time he decided that it would be his last.

Chris sighed, deciding to look around one last time. Before, well, whatever it was that awaited him.

The sky was clear and the moon was high in the sky. If he’d have to guess, Chris would say that it was well past midnight. And the stars, oh, the stars. How he would miss those constellations, how those twinkling lights reminded him of his hopes when he was down the most. He silently thanked the stars for giving him something to hold onto for as long as he was able to and closed his eyes.

He let the wind surround him. He let the wind tear at his jacket and run through his hair. It wasn’t the most powerful gust of wind, but then again, what could possibly compare to the embrace of the wind as one fell to their death?

He sighed one last time, his decision was made… and it was the happiest that he’d felt in years. Finally, he wouldn’t have to deal with the pathetic excuse that his life was any longer. He let out a laugh before he began to step onto the railing. Finally, he would be free. No one would have to see his pathetic life any longer. He could finally escape the Hell that he’d been living in! He wouldn’t have to-

“Hey!”

Chan froze, eyes shooting open as he leaned back and looked around frantically.

‘Hey! Hey stop! Think about this for a minute!”

His eyes locked on a young boy running towards him. _Shit_. He’d been caught. His chance at happiness was just, ripped out from beneath him. Immediately he began to panic and he looked left and right. Should he hurry and jump? Should he run?

But before he’d had a chance to make up his mind, he felt hands on his arms, pulling him away from the edge, away from his freedom. He was faintly aware of the boy speaking to him, but Chris was too busy trying to process what was happening. He was just about to jump. Why did he hesitate?

Suddenly his confusion grew into anger. Who did this boy think he was ripping his happiness away like that? Finally he looked at the face of his rescuer, lips twisted into a snarl and arm raised to fight him off before suddenly, he stopped… This... boy, couldn’t have been older than eleven. Yet, he was out at night all alone.

His anger dissipated almost as quickly as it had emerged. His face twisted back into an expression of confusion. When he saw the fear in the other’s eyes, Chris realized that he still had his arm raised to strike, and dropped it quickly. He began to apologize to the boy, as he hadn’t meant to scare someone so young. Especially after he had technically saved his life.

After a few moments the boy shook his head before smiling up at Chris. He held out his hand.

“I’m Jisung.”

Chris smiled back, reaching to shake the other boy’s hand.

“Chris. Or if it’s easier, most people just call me Chan.”

“Well then Chan,” Jisung began, “there’s always someone that’ll be there to talk if you need.” He nodded back towards the bridge before looking back up to him. “Besides, I could always use a new friend.”

Chan’s smile immediately dropped as he thought back to his situation. “O-oh… Yeah, sure. I suppose I could be your friend.”

“Great! Do you need anywhere to stay? I’ve got a place. It’s small and horribly messy, but it works for now.”

The boy kept talking to Chan as they walked, Chan noticing that the boy held tightly to his hand, almost as if he was afraid to let go. As if Chan would disappear if he even dared.

He began to feel guilty. Here was an absolute stranger who only wanted to save Chan’s life, and felt inclined to bring him home in order to keep him safe. Surely this boy, Jisung, had some ulterior motive for this? And what about his parents? What would they think?

Chan had just opened his mouth to express that Jisung was under no obligation to care for him, some random stranger, when they entered a dark side alley. Chan gulped. Alleyways weren’t somewhere that you wanted to be found in a South Korean city. Especially during the night. Especially long after midnight.

He let out a pathetic whimper, which caused Jisung to halt immediately and look back, confusion written on his face. As he opened his mouth, probably to question what was wrong, the two were shoved roughly against a wall.

Before he’d had a chance to fight off their attacker, Chan felt something cold press against his throat. _A knife_. He closed his eyes tight as their assailant began to speak. It seemed that they were asking a question, but Chan was too worried to focus properly on their words.

He let out a squeal as the knife pressed harder against his throat, drawing small droplets of blood.

“_Are you listening to me?!_” His attacker yelled, upon which Chan finally opened his eyes. He expected to see a taller man pinning them to the wall but was surprised when he was instead face to face with, a young girl? That couldn’t be right…

She wasn’t even as tall as Chan, but hell was she terrifying. Most kids his age that he knew couldn’t keep Chan pinned, yet here this girl was… He supposed that the knives certainly helped her out. It briefly crossed his mind that the situation was a bit unfair.

“I said give me your damn wallet!” The girl yelled up at him. Looking down at her, Chan realized that her face and arms were covered in bruises. Between those bruises and a split lip, she looked downright terrifying with that expression of anger.

“Chan? Chan-hyung?” Jisung began whisper-yelling to him. “Please just give her your wallet. I’m not- I don’t wanna die tonight.”

Slowly Chan remembered the situation he was in, but was still a bit in shock. “But,” he began whispering back, “she’s just a _girl_! How-“

He was cut off as he was knocked harshly to the ground, a weight landing on top of him, and now with two knives pointed at his throat. “I’m not a fucking _girl_!” His assailant screamed. “Don’t you fucking _dare_ ever call me that again or I swear I’ll fucking kill you!”

Chan’s eyes widened as he began to stutter out apologies. He wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but he knew for sure that he’d fucked up. Big time. What a loser he was, caring what someone who was literally robbing him thought about him. Pathetic, right?

God, he wished that he’d jumped. That he’d gotten out of Jisung’s grasp and lost him in this god-forsaken city. He’d be so much happier and he wouldn’t be making others angry at him right now. Plus, Jisung would probably be much safer too. But curse him for being weak and screwing up even more.

He was so mad at himself. He didn’t want to make others upset or to put them in danger. He hated seeing people scared or hurting. He hated when anyone else was put into a position similar to his own mind. He hated himself for being too weak to protect people. He just wanted others to be safe and happy, was that too fucking much to ask?

Apparently, Chan had started crying because the next thing that he remembered was opening his eyes to see the girl- or, his assailant? Standing and looking down at him with confusion. Jisung was also leaning over top of them, trying to get his attention. Once Chan’s eyes landed on him, Jisung sighed in relief and smiled down at him. Quickly he helped him to sit up.

“Hey so while you weren’t paying attention to us I learned that- Hey what’s your name?”

Their former assailant looked down for a second, almost as if in fear, before looking back up to meet Jisung’s eyes. “Changbin.” They said confidently. “Seo Changbin.”

Jisung smiled and turned back to Chan. “Yeah, so I invited Changbin to live with us since they’ve been living alone. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

Chan blinked slowly. “I- Jisung, they just tried to kill us. Are you sure-“

“But they gave my wallet back and apologized! You’re not gonna say no just because of a bad first impression!”

Changbin looked away from Chan, presumably in guilt. Chan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He _had_ just been whining to himself about wanting to help people. He couldn’t go back on that now, now could he?

“Alright. The three of us then.”

* * *

_Entry #1_  
Bang Chan  
Age: 13  
Situation: found attempting suicide. Saved by #2.

_Entry #2_  
Han Jisung  
Age: 10  
Situation: had run away from an orphanage and was living alone. Invited #1 and #3 to live with him.

_Entry #3_  
Seo Changbin  
Age: 11  
Situation: found bloodied and bruised on streets alone. No other information known.


	2. I.N.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first addition.

_ March 3, 2012 _

It’d been nearly two years since Chan, Jisung, and Changbin had met one another. Nearly two years since Jisung nearly cried himself to death, begging the other two to try therapy. Nearly two years since Changbin had begun to accept himself and open up more. Two. Two years since Chan’s life had begun to change. Had begun to look up. 

Chan was happy now. Well,  _ happier _ , he should say. He’d had another three attempts that first year, one of which had hospitalized him. But he was proud. He was nearly a year clean after that incident! 

…

As difficult as it was for him, Chan was willing to do anything to keep Jisung happy. To help keep Changbin from continuing his old habits as well… It was easier to keep himself safe that way. If he told himself that he was keeping his friends safe, it was much easier to keep himself safe. Win-win. 

On a lighter note, Chan and the others had managed to save up enough money to buy a larger apartment, somewhere where they were able to stay comfortably and a bit safer. 

Unfortunately, that money was gathered in…  _ questionable _ ways. All three were minors, so there was no way that any of them would be able to get a job. They tried honestly at first, asking for loose change and doing bits of yard work on the outskirts of the city. One of the two’s therapists offered to pay for their meds and sessions in exchange for bi-weekly assistance at her house. As for the rest of the money… it was complicated. 

They quickly realized that there was no way to make enough money to support the three of them in their situation, so they turned to stealing. They tried to justify their actions as necessary for survival, but Chan knew that it was wrong nonetheless. Additionally, Changbin had begun getting into fist fights whenever anyone tried to stop him, which led to the other two getting into fights to protect each other. Eventually it was Chan that began most fights because he thought that his friends would get hurt otherwise... They’d kinda become a little gang in a way. 

Obviously, it wasn’t an ideal situation, but the boys had learned to live with it. 

Because he was the oldest and best at making plans, Changbin and Jisung elected Chan as the leader of their small group. Some would argue that it wasn’t the best idea to have an insomniac with depression to lead, but the boys didn’t care. They just wanted to live a fun life. Especially after the lives that they’d led until they had met...

Jisung was quite the talker. He had told the other two about his previous life nearly as soon as they’d all settled in the first night. Chan found it a bit odd how quickly and easily Jisung seemed to trust others…  _ He did seem desperate for friends though… _

Jisung been abandoned at an orphanage at a very young age. He had never known what it was like to have anyone care about others except through the stories of the older kids who were able to remember their families. Jisung had never known his. 

Additionally, because no one seemed to care about the orphanage in his hometown, the kids were often terribly mistreated. They were forced to work for hours as payment for them staying there (even though they couldn’t leave). Typically it was cleaning work, but older boys were sent to chop lumber and keep the fires running in the winter. Many were injured. The headmistress didn’t care and sent them back out to work regardless. Jisung distinctly remembered one boy in particular who suffered through an infection, resulting in his death. 

Jisung was terrified of the situation and tried to stay on the headmistress’s good side. However, because he was just a child, Jisung failed miserably. As punishment for each mistake, he would be taken outside and beaten, and each cry of pain led to a longer sentence. 

Jisung ran away. 

He’d found an abandoned shed on some back road and holed up alone in there until he’d found Chan. Jisung explained that Chan didn’t seem to have anywhere to go to where he wouldn’t be hurt, so Jisung had invited him to stay together. Chan secretly thought that was adorable, but sided with Changbin in making fun of Jisung for being too soft. After all, they were only boys. 

Contrastingly, Changbin refused to talk about his situation. All that he would reveal was that he was beaten by his father before being disowned and kicked out of his house. Just because he was different from his older sister. Just because he was different than most people were. He wouldn’t specify  _ how _ he was different, but Chan eventually realized that Changbin was transgender (thanks to a lot of Google searches at the local library and puberty eventually setting in). 

Chan felt his heart breaking as he saw Changbin break down in tears. _He was only a child._ _How could his father do that?_

It wasn’t fair. Neither Changbin’s nor Jisung’s situations were fair. And Chan hated it. He vowed then and there that he wouldn’t allow anyone else to be hurt like those two had. That he would do anything and everything in his power to protect others,  _ even if it cost him his own life. _

* * *

Today the boys had agreed on a plan. Changbin had found out that there was a circus in the next town over for the past week. Tonight would be their last performance before packing up and heading out. He’d also decided to snoop around and had overheard a conversation that revealed that a number of the performers were terribly mistreated. The other two agreed with Chan when he announced that that was unfair. They decided that they were going to rob the circus during the performance. If they were successful, they planned on returning half of the money to the performers in secret. 

Of course, the logical part of Chan’s brain argued, that was still illegal, but Chan also knew that he’d rather steal from the dishonest than those who’ve worked hard fairly. With that, the three set off with time to make it fifteen minutes before the show began in order to scope out the area. 

Since the three were becoming well known troublemakers in the area, the boys decided to head out separately. Changbin would leave first and secure a position outside of the big tent. Jisung would go second. Chan would leave last. They all agreed to meet up at Changbin’s position in order to set the plan in motion. This way the three would be able to protect one another while they carried out their mission; Chan’s only requirement for when they did potentially dangerous jobs (dangerous as in Jisung was still only twelve). What could he say? It calmed his nerves to know that he would be able to sacrifice himself for them.

19:16. It was Chan’s turn to leave. He grabbed his jacket and headed out quickly (but not forgetting to lock the door), weaving his way swiftly through the evening crowd on the streets. He wouldn’t let the other two down. The faster he arrived, the sooner that they could scout out the area. The more that they knew, the safer and easier that the job would be. 

With that in mind, he quickly ducked into one of the shadier side alleys. Chan was no longer afraid of them with all of the illegal activity that the three had been pulling. Upon exiting, he found himself on a much quieter street. It wasn’t the best part of the city, but it was still better than where he lived, and was bad enough that they wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. 

There wasn’t a soul on the street at this hour; it was too early for parents to be returning home from work and far too late for any sane person to let their children play outside. And aside from the occasional howl of the frigid winter air and the crunching of snow beneath his feet, there wasn’t a sound to be heard. Chan smiled. He loved when he could find moments of peace like this. 

Unfortunately, all must come to an end as Chan still had a job to do. He was still three blocks away but he knew a small shortcut to avoid the crowds. 

It was louder here, but not as deafening as the main roads. Chan checked his watch. 19:28.  _ Shit _ . He’d wanted to be there by now. He picked up his pace, knowing that Jisung gets restless if he takes too long, before he froze. Was… was that a scream?

Chan’s head quickly shot to the right, eyes focusing on the front door of a smaller house. Surely he hadn’t actually heard someone screaming. He’d just made that up, right? But he was proved wrong when he heard a loud thump and saw a head being slammed against the window. 

His eyes widened. That-

Before he could even think about it, he was ramming his shoulder into the front door, bursting it open. He ran into the main room. Standing before him was a man with his fist wrapped into a young boy’s shirt, who was lifted off of the ground, the man’s other arm poised to punch. All three stopped when Chan had burst into the room, two sets of eyes meeting Chan’s. It was silent for a moment. Two moments. Three…

Before Chan could even blink, the boy was thrust to the ground and Chan was reeling backward from a punch straight to the nose. His eyes watered up and he stepped back quickly, struggling to find his vision again. 

Once he could see, he saw another fist coming for his face and he quickly tried to jump to the side, the punch just barely skimming his ear. Immediately, he punched back at this man. No... This  _ monster.  _

As he felt a satisfying crunch under his fist, Chan smiled to himself. Serves this monster right. Who in their right mind would hurt a child, especially one as frail looking as the boy who was now quivering on the other side of the room. It was disgusting. He wanted to see this man in as much pain as the boy’s tears implied that he’d been in. 

He wanted to make this man pay for what he’d done, so he punched him again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Finally, Chan snapped out of it as he felt a gentle tugging at his shoulder that was holding the man down. He looked down, realizing how bloody and cut up the man below him was. He nearly vomited at the sight and jumped up and back immediately, realizing what he had just done. 

As he jumped back, Chan knocked the boy to the ground again. His eyes widened. Immediately he began to sob, trying to apologize to the unknown child in any way that he could, stuttering and gasping around weak attempts at ‘sorry’s. The child looked so afraid. No wonder, here Chan had just broken into his house and beat up who was likely his father. 

He started reaching out for the child, realizing a second later that he shouldn’t, due to the look of panic that the other boy had been holding for this entire encounter. He pulled his arm back, apologizing again, bowing his head. 

What Chan was not expecting was a near whisper of “ _ thank you.” _

He shot up quickly, noticing that the younger boy flinched back instinctively.

“Hey,” he said gently, “I’m not gonna hurt you, alright? Are you okay?”

The boy shook his head slowly, eyes expressing his obvious distrust in the man before him.

“Alright, can you tell me what’s wrong? My name’s Chan, by the way. I’m- I wanna help you.”

“I-” the boy looked down again. “Jeongin.”

“Jeongin. Alright, hey, where are you hurt?” Chan sighed internally, glad that this boy was at least semi-trusting of him.

“I-” Jeongin started before his face turned deathly pale, the boy dropping immediately to the ground. 

“Hey, Jeongin- Fuck!”

  
  


* * *

  
  


_ Entry #4 _

Yang Jeongin

Age: 11

Situation: saved form domestic abuse by #1. Immediately hospitalized. 


End file.
